Kilpatrick Turnpike to be widened

[bluedogok]

Any chance you could dig up this article? I'd be very interested in reading that.

I just remember reading it a few years ago in the paper, the actual paper since we subscribed when we lived in Austin. I don't know how far back you can access stories on Statesman.com

[soonerliberal]

Perhaps the next project on the Turnpike could be adding a real interchange to Kilpatrick and the Lake Hefner Parkway, so you don't have to exit the highway to go in every direction except the LHP north to Kilpatrick east and vice versa.

[MDot]

Perhaps the next project on the Turnpike could be adding a real interchange to Kilpatrick and the Lake Hefner Parkway, so you don't have to exit the highway to go in every direction except the LHP north to Kilpatrick east and vice versa.

That would be nice. They already have flyovers going from Hefner Pkwy N to Kilpatrick Tpk E and from Kilpatrick Tpk W to Hefner Pkwy S.

[gurantula35]

They also need a eastbound Turnpike entrance loop for people coming from Edmond on Broadway Extension. When going southbound, there is only a West Turnpike entrance. a little frustrating.

[Richard at Remax]

I don't think it has been addressed but I noticed they ripped out the cable barriers already near the eastern and kelley. Are they going to re-use them?

[OKCisOK4me]

The most interesting part of this project is how they will make bridges over Broadway Extension, the railroad tracks, Western, Penn, Hefner Parkway, Meridian and over Spring Creek. Do you think they'll just widen the bridges like they did with Broadway Extension over Memorial Road or do you think they'll make them each one wide bridge with the barrier wall down the center?

[OKCisOK4me]

I'm guessing that it is just during night time hours but Western Avenue under the Kilpatrick should be avoided.

First, if traveling eastbound on the JKT, if you exit at Western to go northbound, you have to go another half mile to the east and pull a u-turn at that overpass to go back westbound toward Western to travel north. The eastbound on ramp from Western to the JKT is closed and so is the westbound ramp off of Memorial Road. Also, all southbound traffic on Western south of Memorial Road is blocked as well.

[Snowman]

After looking around for some estimates on when this was to be completed I am beginning to wonder if the reason this is happening now is OTA wanted to widen the Creek Turnpike in Tulsa and needed a project of similar scope in OKC to make it politically feasible to get that done.

[Oil Capital]

After looking around for some estimates on when this was to be completed I am beginning to wonder if the reason this is happening now is OTA wanted to widen the Creek Turnpike in Tulsa and needed a project of similar scope in OKC to make it politically feasible to get that done.

More likely the other way around. Check out the traffic counts

[Snowman]

More equal than I expected, both sections are 26,000 to 27,000. It just seems unusually proactive of them to not wait till something should have been done ten to twenty years earlier.

[bluedogok]

More equal than I expected, both sections are 26,000 to 27,000. It just seems unusually proactive of them to not wait till something should have been done ten to twenty years earlier.

The difference is ODOT vs. OTA, ODOT waits until it has been needed for a long time, OTA uses it to generate more revenue for themselves.

[HangryHippo]

I have a question regarding the interchange where the turnpike's WB ramp leads onto the SB Lake Hefner Parkway, are they going to have to redo this bridge? It is low enough that if a truck is in the left lane, they're going to smash into the pier, but it doesn't look like they're adding any new piers at all. My other question is then, why don't they move this ramp further west so that they can add a NB Lake Hefner Parkway ramp that takes you straight to the WB turnpike. Does that make sense?

[jn1780]

1.That ramp pier is dead center in the medium so there should be enough clearance or their planning on slightly shifting westbound north.
2. When the time comes to build a WB ramp, they will branch off from EB ramp and go up and over the SB to Lake Hefner Parkway ramp. I actually wouldn't be surprised to see westbound on and off ramps built in the near future.

[OKCisOK4me]

I drove up Portland recently (last last weekend) and they're putting in new piers in the middle of every overpass on the Kilpatrick. I just don't think they've gotten to that part of the project yet.

[jn1780]

I drove up Portland recently (last last weekend) and they're putting in new piers in the middle of every overpass on the Kilpatrick. I just don't think they've gotten to that part of the project yet.

Yeah, they have the footings poured. They just haven't built up yet. I think he was wondering if they were going to relocate the off ramp. Of course, they obviously knew they were going to widen the road eventually when they built that ramp and pier originally.

[Snowman]

Yeah, they have the footings poured. They just haven't built up yet. I think he was wondering if they were going to relocate the off ramp. Of course, they obviously knew they were going to widen the road eventually when they built that ramp and pier originally.

In the city council OTA stated that there had been a mistake made on one of the flyovers and the clearance was lower than it should have been, which was going to be corrected (I don't remember how). It had originally been planed so it could be widened.

[HangryHippo]

In the city council OTA stated that there had been a mistake made on one of the flyovers and the clearance was lower than it should have been, which was going to be corrected (I don't remember how). It had originally been planed so it could be widened.

This is what I remembered. Something was said at some point (I know, yay for details!) about there being a mistake and the clearance wasn't going to allow for traffic underneath. But it does appear that this will be rectified, I just didn't know what it meant for the flyover or if they're going to branch off the other ramp as part of this project.

[UnclePete]

When all this is finished, will the Kilpatrick Turnpike be sold or given to private owners.

[Snowman]

When all this is finished, will the Kilpatrick Turnpike be sold or given to private owners.

No, where did you get that idea?

[BoulderSooner]

When all this is finished, will the Kilpatrick Turnpike be sold or given to private owners.

nope it will still be owned by the OTA

[jn1780]

This is what I remembered. Something was said at some point (I know, yay for details!) about there being a mistake and the clearance wasn't going to allow for traffic underneath. But it does appear that this will be rectified, I just didn't know what it meant for the flyover or if they're going to branch off the other ramp as part of this project.

The fix is probably something as simple as shifting westbound lanes slightly north and lowering the elevation a little before the roadway reaches the bridge.

[UnclePete]

I was just wondering about selling or giving away the Oklahoma Turnpikes. It probably won't happen, but it wouldn't surprise me.

[Snowman]

Selling is highly unlikely, giving away is not happening.

[jn1780]

When all this is finished, will the Kilpatrick Turnpike be sold or given to private owners.

It will never technically be done. lol

[OKCisOK4me]

It will never technically be done. lol

Yeah, think about the Turner Turnpike. My dad told me that that thing was suppose to be free years ago. Not the case. They fund their own construction. No worries about federal funds coming in. Why would they want to sell off their jobs?